DENVER -- The No.. 18 Lewis University women's volleyball team dropped two hard-fought matches against two Top-10 opponents at the 2022 Colorado Premier Challenge Friday (Sept. 2). The Flyers lost in five sets to No. 3 Western Washington, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 21-25, 9-15; and lost in four sets to No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul, 25-23, 15-25, 27-29, 16-25.

TEAM RECORDS
No. 3 Western Washington (5-0) | No. 18 Lewis (3-2) 
                    
LEWIS LEADERS vs. No. 3 Western Washington
Kills: Juliana Van Loo (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) (19), Bella Ray (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) (18)
Digs: Ally Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) (22), Andrea Zeiser (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) (17), Megan Schlechte (Strasburg, Ill./Stewardson-Strasburg) (15), Mikah Freppon (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) (14), Natalie Stefanski (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet West) (13)
Assists: Mikah Freppon (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) (37), Lauren Stenman (Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul) (14)
Blocks: Bella Ray (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) (10)
Aces: Ally Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) (1)

SET BREAKDOWN vs. No. 3 Western Washington
FIRST SET:  No. 3 Western Washington 25, No. 18 Lewis 22

• Both teams went back and forth to start the first set and it was tied 13-all.
• Western Washington won three straight points to grab a 16-13 lead.
• The Vikings were ahead 19-16 before Lewis tied it at 22-all thanks to a kill by Andrea Zeiser (Eureka, Mo./Eureka).
• WWU scored the last three points to win the opening set, 25-22.

SECOND SET: No. 18 Lewis 25, No. 3 Western Washington 22

• Lewis went up 6-2 early in the second set after a block by Mikah Freppon (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) and Bella Ray (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic).
• WWU scored the next point then the Flyers went on to score the next six capped off by a pair of kills by Freppon and Ray.
• The Vikings got right back in the set after going a 6-1 advantage to pull within four (13-9).
• The Flyers looked to put away the Vikings after back-to-back kills by Juliana Van Loo (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) and a service ace by Ally Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) put Lewis ahead 20-12.
• Western Washington would not give up as the Vikings rallied for five straight points to make it 20-17 Lewis.
• WWU made things interesting at the end but a kill by Van Loo gave Lewis a 25-22 set two victory.

THIRD SET: No. 18 Lewis 25, No. 3 Western Washington 22

•  Lewis went up 4-1 early in the third set but then Western Washington bounced back and tied it up.
• Both teams would go back-and-forth until it was 10-10 then Lewis rallied off five straight points capped off by a kill by Natalie Stefanski (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet West) to make it 15-10.
• WWU tried to get back in the match and cut it down to two (17-15) but Lewis was able to hold them off.
• Farah Taki (North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) recorded a kill to end the third set which gave the Flyers a 2-1 set advantage.

FOURTH SET: No. 3 Western Washington 25, No. 18 Lewis 21

• Both teams traded the first few points before WWU went up 6-3 early on.
• Lewis fought back and ended up tying it at 10-all after a block by Van Loo and Ray.
• The Flyers went ahead 15-11 thanks to three straight kills by Ray, Freppon and Stefanski.
• The Vikings used a rally to tie it at 16-all but back-to-back kills by Schlete and Taki put the Flyers back on top.
• WWU scored the next five points to grab a 21-18 lead then Freppon and Taki picked up a block again.
• The Flyers got back-to-back kills by Van Loo late in the set but Western Washington was able to close it out and win the fourth set 25-21.

FIFTH SET: No. 3 Western Washington 15, No. 18 Lewis 9

•  Both teams went back-and-forth again to start the final set.
• Ray and Schlechte recorded a block to give Lewis a 7-6 lead.
• Western Washington rallied on a 8-2 advantage the rest of the way to win the final set, 15-9, and the match 3-2.

FINAL SCORE: No. 3 Western Washington 3, No. 18 Lewis 2

GAME 2
TEAM RECORDS
No. 6 Concordia St. Paul (5-0) | No. 18 Lewis (3-3)

LEWIS LEADERS vs. No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul
Kills: Farah Taki (North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) (8), Juliana Van Loo (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) (8) 
Digs: Andrea Zeiser (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) (11)
Assists: Lauren Stenman (Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul) (17), Mikah Freppon (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) (11)
Blocks: Natalie Stefanski (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet West) (4), Bella Ray (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) (4)
Aces: Andrea Zeiser (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) (2)

SET BREAKDOWN vs. No. 6 Concordia St. Paul
FIRST SET: No. 18 Lewis 25, No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul 23

• Both teams went back-and-forth for the first 10 points each.
• Lewis scored the next four out of five points thanks to a service ace by Andrea Zeiser (Eureka, Mo./Eureka) to put ahead 14-11.
• CSP rallied and scored four in a row to grab a 15-14 lead.
• The Flyers went back on top after Ray recorded a kill to make it 17-16.
• Lewis went up 23-20 late in the first set before the Bears tied it up at 23-all.
• The Flyers won the second set after winning back-to-back rallies after a kill by Stefanski and a block by Stefanski and Ray.

SECOND SET: No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul 25, No. 18 Lewis 15

• Lewis went up 5-3 early in the second set before CSP scored four in a row to grab a 7-5 lead.
• Stefanski and Ray came through again for the Flyers and tied it at 7-all.
• CSP led 10-9 almost midway through the second set then the Bears scored seven points in a row to grab a 17-9 lead before Megan Schlechte (Strasburg, Ill./Stewardson-Strasburg) recorded a kill.
• Concordia-St. Paul was up 21-11 before Lewis rallied to score three in a row but that was the closest Lewis got as the Bears won the second set 25-15.

THIRD SET: No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul 29, No. 18 Lewis 27

• Concordia-St. Paul jumped out to an early 5-1 lead before Stefanski got the Flyers back in the set. 
• Lewis cut it back down to 10-9 in favor of the Bears but CSP rallied for five points in a row to grab a 15-9 lead. 
• CSP led 18-14 then Lewis fought back and scored five in a row capped off by a service ace by Stefanski which gave the Flyers a 19-18 lead.
• Both teams would trade points all the way up until 27-all then the Bears came out on top after two straight points to win the third set.

FOURTH SET: No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul 25, No. 18 Lewis 16

• CSP jumped out to a 4-0 lead early on for an early advantage. 
• Taki got the Flyers right back in the set and cutting it down to 10-9 CSP after a kill.
• The Bears led 19-16 after a kill by Schlechte but that was all the points for Lewis.
• Concordia-St. Paul scored the last six points of the game to win the match 3-1.

FINAL SCORE: No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul 3, No. 18 Lewis 1
 
UP NEXT
The No. 18 Lewis University Flyers will be back in action Saturday, September 3 as the Flyers take on No. 16 Angelo State starting at 12:30 p.m. CT.